Mark 6:39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. 41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. 42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
The feeding of the multitudes by Christ as portrayed in this passage of scripture contains very important truths pertaining to the way we receive the good gifts of God. By publicly thanking The Father for the food that was provided, Jesus acknowledged a very sacred truth, that all good gifts, whether spiritual or temporal in nature, come from God, as is distinctly stated by the apostle James. Let's read:
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Not only should we give thanks before every meal, we are also to thank God for all of the blessings of life, for clothes, homes, cars, jobs, family and friends, and most of all for the gift of His son Jesus Christ who by His sacrifice on Calvary, has made available to all mankind, the treasures of His riches and grace. The reason why the giving of thanks to God is appropriate and right, is because by so doing, we acknowledge Him, not only as Creator and Redeemer, but also in His capacity as Jehovah Jireh, our beneficent provider.
The habit of receiving the good gifts of God without pausing to say thanks, is productive of the greatest evils, for when this attitude is harbored, we thereby show that we think of our selves as being all sufficient, a conclusion that is neither right nor true. This disposition then inevitably leads to a disregard of the commandments of God, for if we erroneously conclude that we are self-dependent, then we will also think that God has no rightful jurisdiction over what we do. The Bible tells us that without Christ we can do nothing, and furthermore, the vast sums of money that are expended on food and other material goods all come from God. This is what the scriptures teach in no uncertain terms. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 8:10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
In our day there is a tendency to remove the God factor from the equation of the human experience through the teaching of evolution, and because of this, millions have been led to deny the existence of God, and His intimate interactions in the affairs of men. As a direct result of these attitudes, we are as a society drifting further and further away from God's ideal for us, and are fast becoming a law unto ourselves. God is now calling upon every member of the human family to acknowledge Him in all of our ways, so that the gifts He bestows on us from day to day would be received with gratitude and thanksgiving.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture that reminds us of our total dependence on God, and it is our sincere hope and desire, that the spirit of prayer and thanksgiving will pervade every heart. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 11:13 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. 16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them.
May we incorporate these sacred truths into our everyday experiences. "Good night" and God bless!